Sheet-separating mechanism



Dec. Z9 1925- A. G. JACOBSON SHEET SEPARATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. l5,1922 Pacman nee ze, 1925.

f UNITED. STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

ABTHUBVG. JACOIBSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO MIEHLE PRINTING:PRESS & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLI- NCIS.

SHEET-SEPABATING MECHANISM.

Application led September 15, 1922. Serial F50. 588,340.

To all whom 'it 'may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. JaCoBsON, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residin at Chicago, in the county of -Cook and tate 5 vof Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-SeparatingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet separating X mechanism. 1

@ne object of the invention is to provide` simple, reliable andefficient means for separating the .top sheet in a pile from a secondsheet therein and gripping said topi i sheetV for withdrawing same fromthe pile without causing the rst sheet again to engage the second sheetat the point where they are first separated. y

Another object of the invention is to separate' sheet material in a pilelin asimple and improved manner whereby when a ilxn of air onceseparates the top sheetl from a second sheet such film of air willnot bepressed from between'said sheets. I y

Another object is to provide sheet separating mechanism which is simplein operation and adapted -to meet the various requirements for theparticular use.

,These vand other objects are accomplishedl 3o `by means of thearrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in

. .which- Y Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of sheet separatingmechanism embodying my invention and also showing a pile of sheetmaterial undergoing separation, the top ,sheets of paperl being iuii'edup at one corner just prior to the top sheet of paper being'v vgripped*and Figure' 2 is a similar sectional view show- -ing the top sheet ofmaterial in the pile gripped by the Suction gripper. 4The various novelfeatures. of the invention willbe apparent-from the following denscription and drawings, and will be articuseparation is a vital one inconnection with printing and one which has been given considerablethought. Various sheet separatig mechanisms are in use with varyingdegrees of success. In certain types of sheet separators a portion ofthe top sheet in a pile is separated from the next sheet prelminarily byjets of air, whereupon a gripper, which may be one of various types,passes downwardly into engagement with said top sheet and continues 1nits movement until the separated portion of said top sheet backs downinto engagement with the second sheet and thereby Jforces the separatingmedium or air from between the first and second sheets. The result ofsuch action is tonullify .the preliminary separation.

In my arrangei'aent I propose not only to take advantage oft thepreliminary separationcaused by iets of air, but to grip the top sheetafter it is separated from the second sheet at one portion and toprevent saidA top sheet Jfrom again pressing down on said second sheetaty such se arated portion.

In connection with t e preliminary separation of the sheet materialthere is provided a iluliing, tube 11 through which air is forced foriuiiing one corner of the pile, as shown in the figures of the drawings.At the same time the top sheets are held down at another portion by afoot 12 to prevent accidental displacement of the top sheets.Cooperating with the hold-down foot 12 is another tube 13 through whicha jet of air is directed upwardly between the top sheets oi material.Preferably the hold-down foot 12 and jet tube 13 are coupled together tocooperate in their actions. In this particular instance a band 14surrounds the front portion of the jet tube 13 and has connected theretoa rod 15 which is adjustably connected to a collar 16 secured to theholddown foot 12 at an intermediate portion.

As mentioned above, after the top sheets lof paper are preliminarilyseparated, the

a cylinder 20, having at-its upper end a i tube 21 to which may beconnected a hose or other flexible tube 22 connected to any suitablesource of suction, not shown, whereby suction is extended through thetubes 22 and 21, cylinder 2x), hollow piston 19, tube 18 and suctionfoot 17 for drawing and gripping the 1top sheet of material 23.Pivotally connected to the upper end of the cylinder at 24 is one arm 25of a bell crank lever 26v pivotally mounted at 27 and having another arm28 inthe end of which is a roller 29 operatively connected to a cam 30which is rotated by any suitable means.- such as a shaft 31 upon whichthe cam is mounted. Accordingly, as the cam 30 is rotated the suctiongripper mechanism is caused to rise and fall and is guided in vitsrising and falling movement by a link 32, one end of which is pivotallyconnected to the suction tube 18, and the other end of which ispivotally connected to. any suitable support 33..

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the roller 29A is on the high partof the cam 30 and, accordingly, the suction mechanism is in its elevatedposition.A As the roller passes from the high to lthe low part ot thecam, the suction mechanism is lowered so that the suction foot 17 ispassed down into engagement with the top sheet of material 23. As soonas the top sheet 23 of material gripped by the suction foot 17 no moreair can be drawn, upwardly through the sealed tube 18. However, thesuction-force acts upon the piston 19 in a' manner to draw the piston 19and accordingly the tube 18, foot 17 and paper 23 upwardly even as thecylinder 20 continues its downward movement. By virtue of the fact thatthe iston 19, tube 18 and suction toot 17 are rawn upwardly by thesuction after the suction foot 17 is sealed, such suction foot 17 is notpermitted to be pressed down to the solid pile of sheets as the cylinder20 is lowered,

. since it is higher by the length ot the stroke of the pistonA and,accordingly, the separated portion of the top sheet 23 of material isprevented from being driven down into engagement with the next sheet. Asa result thereof the separating body of air between the top sheetand thesecond `sheet is not disturbed and the separation of the top sheet fromthe second sheet is successfully maintained. Asmentioned above, thisresult is accomplished by the upward movement of the piston 19 withinthe cylinder 2Q as the latter moves downwardly, so that even though thecylinder 20 continues its downward movement during the grippingoperation the suction foot 17, tube 18 and pis ton 19 move upwardlyimmediately upon the sealing of the suction toot 17 by the top sheet ofpaper.

asevera lt is my intention to cover all modifications of the inventionfalling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In mechanism for separating sheet material in a pile, the combinationof means for iuiiing sheet material in a pile, and suc- .tion grippermeans comprising a plurality of relatively movable parts whereby whenone of said parts grips the top sheet oi material it recedes with saidsheet regardless of the movement of the other relatively movable part,whereby separation of the top sheet from the second sheet is maintained.

2. ln mechanism for separating sheet material in a pile, the combinationof means.

for iuliing sheet material in the pile, and suction gripper means whichis given a downward movement for gripping the top sheet of material andcomprising a plurality1 of relatively movable parts whereby w en one ofsaid parts grips the top sheet of material it recedes with said sheetregardless of the continued downward movement of the other relativelymovable art, whereby separation of the top sheet trom the second sheetis maintained. v

3. In mechanism for separating sheet material in a pile, the combinationof means for iiufiing sheet material in a pile, and vertically movablesuction gripper `means having a downward movement for gripping the topsheet of material and comprising a plurality of relatively movable partswhereby when one of' said parts vgrips' the top sheet of material itmoves vertically upward taking the top sheet of material with it as theother relatively movable part continues its downward movement wherebyseparation of the top sheet from the second sheet is maintained.

et. ln mechanism for separating sheet material in a pile, thecombination of means for'fiufling sheet material in the pile, andgripper mechanism including an actuated cylinder connected with a sourceof suction, a piston slidably ymounted in said cylinder, and a suctiongripper foot operatively connected to said piston whereby as saidcylinder, piston and suction foot move in a given direction and the topsheet is gripped by said suction foot, said piston immediately moves insaid cylinder in an opposite direction for withdrawing the top sheet ofmaterial regardless of the continued movenient of said cylinder.

h. ln mechanism for separating sheet material in ay pile, thecombination ot means for uiiing sheet material in the pile, and grippermeans including a movably mounted cylinder, a hollow piston movablymounted in said cylinder, a suction toot operatively connected to saidpiston whereby said cylinder, piston and suction foot all move in thesame direction until the suction foot is sealed by the top sheet ofmaterial and Without passing solidly into engagement with the pile,whereupon said piston moves in an opposite direction in saidcylindercarrying wit-h it the suction foot and top sheet of materialindependently ofthe movement-of said cylinder, whereby separation of thetop sheet from the second sheet is maintained. a

6. In mechanism for separating sheet ma'- terial in a'pile, thecombination of means for fluliing sheet material in the pile, means forpreventing accidental displacement of the top sheet of material as it isbeing lluted, and gripper means comprising a plurality of relativelymovable parts whereby when one of said 'parts grips the top sheet ofmaterial and without passing solidly into engragement with the pile itrecedes with said sheet regardless of the movement of the otherrelatively movable part whereby separation of the top sheet from thesecond sheet is maintained.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of August, 1922.

ARTHUR Gr. JACOBSON.

